Between book 1 and 2
by sparks-haven
Summary: the real story about what happens inbetween the first two books in the SONG OF THE LIONESS! Hope you enjoy it.
1. Chapter 1

When Alanna returned to the palace after going to the Black City with Jonathan during the vacation that they got to take together. Alanna was worried that some things might change between her and Jon now that he had found out her one and only secret. Although it didn't seem to happen that way, Jon seemed to just treat her the same as he always had. Gary had always been a nice guy and she had wanted to be his squire, but she really could not say "NO" to Jon and then turn around and say "YES" to Gary it just was not fair to Jon, after all he had already told his uncle that he had wanted Alan to be his squire.

Alanna made it up to her room with out anyone seeing her, which made here very happy she was going to have to pay a visit to Duke Gareth soon and she wished that it would have to be never. But by the time they got back he would probably not find out about what she had done until the morning which means it would be morning before he wanted to see her. She lay in bed thinking about what was going to happen during this. She had to come up with some reason why she went with Jon to the Black City, and the fact that he had woken her up would not be a good one. She did not want to get Jon into trouble so she had to come up with another thing that, the fact that she went with Jon might make it a bit harder for her to come up with an excuse. Yet she would have to. She did wonder what Jon was going to tell him; maybe if she could talk to him before she had to go talk to the Duke it might make her live a tiny bit easier. She wondered if the lights out bell had already rung yet? If it had and she was caught out of her room she would be in even bigger trouble and she really did not want that to happen. When she actually thought about it and realized that she really couldn't be in anymore trouble she got up, and walked to Jon's room which was not all that far away from her room. When she got to his room she could still see the light on in it. She had had way too much on her mind to really listen to hear if she could voices. When she opened the door it was funny because Jon was just about to turn out the lights. He welcomed her into the room where she could sit down and talk to him if anyone actually said anything Jon would just tell him or her that they were talking about something that was important.

When they talked she always left thinking something different than when they started their conversation. She did like that, but sometimes Jon thought too much like being a prince and she could not think like that she could not get away with everything. She wanted to know who knew about his choice to choose her? Who would Gary have to choose? She did worry about him, not that she did not worry about Raoul. She did worry about both of them, but Jon had only talked about Gary when they had talked the night before. She knew that Raoul did care about her but was it that he did not want to start a fight with Jon and Gary to have her as his squire as well. All these questions did flood her mind and the only one that could answer them was Jon. She really did enjoy having him around and now she was going to have him around even more seeing how the mid-winter festival they were going to move into rooms that were connected to each other.

Author's Notes: Hope you like the start… Does she actually get caught when she is sitting there talking to Jon? Does Jon actually try anything when they are alone.


	2. Chapter 2

_When everything goes as it has been planned out everything is truly perfect but when one thing goes wrong the entire thing could fall apart._

Alanna knew the minute she walked into Jon's room that there was going to be trouble that might follow. After all he was the prince of Tortall. How many times has he ever pulled off without actually obeying the rules? But still despite what her senses were telling her continued to stay there. When the first question came to her mind she asked it. "Jon"

He just looked up at her. Saying nothing but giving her a nod telling her to go on.

"If we sit here and talk for a while can we actually get in more trouble than we are already in?" she was getting very worried about getting into trouble, although she did not mind being in trouble she really did not want to be in any right now. Coram would kill her if he ever found out what happened when they were at Black City, that is why she must make Jon promise at one point before this conversation is done that he will not speak a word of the trip to Coram.

Jon just smiled at her; ever since he had found out that she was a girl he found it hard to treat her like she was a guy. Gary, one of his closed friends, he was having a problem to not tell him the truth. He shrugged his shoulders, "To be honest with you my young squire to-be, I have no idea." He thought for a second thinking that there was another reason why she would come into his room after lights out. Most of the people around knew that him and Alan were good friends. And no one had been surprised when they landed back from Black City together and Alan had to be his squire. "Was there something else on your mind, we have had a really long day and I would like to get to bed of the morning is going to bring worse things for me."

Alanna nodded slowly. "But if you want we can discuss it in the morning, Jon"

"Was this the reason you came into talk to me? What else is on your mind?" He realized that he was going to get very little sleep that night, although that did not worry him. The only thing he was going to do when he was sleeping was find an answer to give his uncle when he got asked why he want to Black City. He would have to let Alan know what he was going to say to him just so they could have the same answers after all his uncle would not see any of them for a while after breakfast in the morning.

"I really do mean it Jon we can talk in the morning. If you really want to get some sleep." She knew that it was getting late and that he was going to want to get some sleep soon. She did have the worry that someone was going to come into Jon's room just as she had and want to talk to him and find her talking to him. There really was not a good excuse this time. She had no homework that needed to be done, No chores that she did not know how to do. Nothing! She could not think of any logical reason for her to be in his room. The mid-winter festival would be coming up soon and they would be in joining rooms. If the question had to wait until then to be answered she could very possibly wait until then.

"No, Alan we can talk about it now. I probably was not planning on getting all that much sleep tonight anyways." He knew that she was getting scared. And he was getting scared too. Normally Gary and him sit down and talk at night after a long day of riding like today. He would be walking into his room in a few minutes although he did not want to leave Alan to figure out the problem that he was having all by himself. He had to be sure now more than ever that he did call her Alan. Anyone could be listening from outside the door.

"Okay well if you insist. But it is not going to be a short conversation." She gathered her thoughts, thinking of the best way to ask the question that she needed to ask. "That night that we just after you asked me to be your squire. You said that Gary wanted me to be his squire as well. Was he the only other one that wanted me to be his…" She stopped she had heard the door move a bit. But as she sat on the chair in his room and heard nothing she continued, "squire?"

There had been someone at the door and they had been listening to everything that she was saying. She was worried about who it was. But why was Jon smiling? Did he know who that was? Was he worried about them telling of him and Alan talking in his room?

Author's Notes: Man I love cliffhangers. I have not decided who finds them in Jon's room yet?


	3. Chapter 3

_Your imagination can do amazing things when you are scared to be caught with your hand in the cookie jar!!_

Jon put his finger up to his mouth telling Alanna to go silent for a few minutes until he found out who is at the door. Jon got out of bed and walked to the door and opened it. "Gary, hey" he looked at Alanna who was still sitting on the chair beside the bed. "Come in"

Alanna gulped she wanted to talk to Jon about this next thing alone and if Gary was there that might cause them problems. She needed to find out what Jon was going to tell his uncle the next morning when he asked why they had ventured to Black City when they had been ordered to not go there by more than one person. Although it would only be a little amount of time before everyone at the palace found out about their little trip she and Jon had taken during the recent trip to Persopolis. "Jon" she looked at him and he realized that Alan still wanted to talk to him.

"Gary, I know we usually talk with each other after a long day of riding but is it possible we do it tomorrow morning during breakfast, or during class?" he looked at Alan who was sitting there still with a scared look on her face. "Alan and I are trying to talk about a few things right now."

"Tell me he said no to being your squire?" Gary pleaded out loud "or are you just trying to figure out what to say to my father come morning when he asks why you went on that little adventure of yours." He thought for a few seconds then looked at his friend Alan and remembered the message from Coram had asked him to tell him, "oh, Alan by the way Coram really was wondering where you had gotten off to."

Alanna just smiled and said "well tell him that Jon and I are just talking so I am still in the castle so he should not have to worry about anything right now. But thanks Gary for telling me that."

Gary looked at Jon. "Best of luck finding something to say to my father about the reasoning for your little adventure. Something else you might want to do is make sure you and Alan have the same stories."

Jon glared at him, "Gary, I know how to get myself out of trouble I have done this before you know. Besides if you don't leave Coram is going to come in here looking for Alan and we will not get a chance to make up our minds about what to tell your father. So will you go tell him, Alan and I are talking and he will be in his room in a while." Jon thought for a second, "I mean for you tell Coram that not your father."

Gary walked to the door, "well goodnight Alan and good luck coming up with a good enough reason to tell my father. I mean you two will probably restrict to the palace for at least a few months because of what you did. But Alan I really hate being the barrier of even more bad news but Coram knows about your little adventure." He walked out and shut the door behind him.

"Well at least it was only Gary," Alanna smiled at Jon. "It could have been someone worse like Duke Gareth wanted to talk right now."

Jon smiled and nodded in agreement. "You have a point there. I take it this is one of the things that you wanted to talk about tonight?" Alan was quiet for a few minutes. "Alan, as far as I can see we are going to be restricted to the palace for at least 3 months so you can just blame it on me if you want." He gave her a hug. "You were following your duty bound thing and protecting the heir to the throne, and we can go with that story at least to my uncle."

Alanna got up from her seat "thanks Jon I knew that you would think of something to say to your uncle now I just get to deal with Coram I can only imagine what he is going to say when he don't give him an answer to all of this."

Jon looked at her "well you can tell him the same thing if you think that he will take or if you think that he will take the truth I would say go for it. You have known him more than the rest of us." Jon replied then remembered Gary's comment about Alan being his squire and Alan did not say anything about it. "Thanks for not saying anything to Gary about you being my squire he still wants you to be his, I think. We can talk about the other stuff in the morning can't we?"

Alanna smiled at her prince. "We can most certainly can continue this conversation in the morning." With that she left the room and walked the little way to her room. Took a breath and opened the door she would have to deal with Coram right now and it would not be able to wait until tomorrow morning.

Jonathan sat on his bed just thinking for a few minutes before looking at the candle on his bedside table. There was a countdown going on there until the Mid-winter Festival, he took another page off the top of it and put it into the flames. He had one thing done already that was finding a squire and asking them to be his squire. He was happy that he got the best one. Then thought about what Alan had asked before Gary had walked in on them. Should he really tell her that Raoul did want her as a squire as well. Would that just make it harder for her to tell Duke Gareth about it? Those were a few things that he had to think about before the morning came and their chat with the Duke came. He had decided to tell his uncle that he wanted a private place to ask Alan to be his squire where no one else could hear him asking him.

With that thought in his head he slowly drifted off to sleep.

_**A/N: sorry it has taken me so long to get this story updated, but enjoy it anyway. Have a happy holiday whatever you celebrate.**_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: alright guys I know it has been a long time since I have updated this story but hopefully I can do it more over my summer break. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

_Almost all monsters come out at night. Yet it is the ones that come out in the day that you need to concern yourself with._

Alanna got back to her room and locked the door before going behind the curtain to change into her night shirt. When she came out to go to bed she found Coram sitting on the bed waiting for her. Her thoughts sank as she realized that he wanted to talk about their little adventure right now. "There is nothing to tell. We went to Black City I followed Jon there. He decided he wanted to go check it out. We ended up getting trapped and had to fight our way out."

Coram glared at her. "Is that the story you are going to tell everyone come morning, that you were just doing your duty and protecting the heir to the throne?"

Alanna nodded and settled herself on the bed. "That is the idea I would think. It was Jon's idea to tell them that. We are hoping that Duke Gareth will believe that."

Coram got up from the bed and headed for his room. "I would not count on him being too happy about that. You should have tried to convince him to turn back."

Alanna shot a glare back at him. "Don't you think I tried to do that after all he is the heir to the throne? He probably had some funny reason for wanting to go there that he would not tell me after all was said and done."

Coram turned to look at her with a smile. "Alright then, I have to get some sleep or the dawn watch is going to be the death of me. I hope that I don't need to worry about you sneaking out again on me tonight at least."

Alanna shook her head. "If I do it will just be to go see Jon or something like that. I will keep it within the palace at least I promise. No mystery rides to the city."

They both went off to sleep after this. The bell over the page tower sounded at the same time as usual walking Alanna up out of bed. She rubbed her eyes and got dressed as usual and headed to go get some breakfast for herself. While she was eating Timon came to find her and told her.

"His grace wishes to see you right now."

Alanna was shocked that the news had gotten back to him this quickly and she wondered if Jon had already had to see him. She followed Timon out of the breakfast room and down the hall to Duke Gareth's office. She opened the door and smiled at him. Bowing as usual but this time Timon did not follow her into the office.

"Have a seat Alan." Duke Gareth was not looking at her. "I heard about your little adventure on your trip. Staying out all night with Prince Jonathan. Going to Black City." He took a seat in the chair behind his desk.

Alanna knew all too well that the statements he was making were that exactly just statements. Not questions or anything that needed her to answer. If he wanted her to talk he would ask her a direct question she had picked that up in her first few days of being at the palace from his son. She sat there upright looking at him keeping silent to his remarks.

"Your safety while you are a page and a squire is my responsibility. I know for one you understand that statement, Alan. What were you thinking going out to Black City just the two of you?" He let out a sigh remembering that he was going to have to run through the same thing with his nephew.

Alanna continued to look him in the eye. "I saw him leaving his room, your grace. And he would not listen to me. Him being the prince and all. So I went along with him to try and protect him for his little adventure. I had no intention of worrying you."

The duke shook his head. "So I am supposed to believe that you went along with this just to save his life. Alan you are only a page you can't be doing that. I had told you before you left that you were supposed to be on your best behaviour meaning following all the rules that had been set. I am very disappointed in you, why did you not go get one of the other boys to help you?"

"By the time I had caught up with him he was already to his horse and wanting to get going. I could not ask him to wait while I went and got someone to spoil his plan. It seemed like he wanted me to go with him though."

Duke Gareth let out another sigh. "Alright, you are restricted to the palace until further notice. I will see how you are behaving in class as to when you get to leave again. Now you better get off to class yourself."

Alanna left the office feeling proud of herself hoping that Jon would say the same thing. After she had left Timon walked into the duke's office. "Would you like to see anyone else, Your Grace?"

Duke Gareth put a faint smile on his face. "His highness, Prince Jonathan please Timon."

Timon left the room and trotted off to find Jon. He was in class with the rest of their group and walked up to him. "Your highness, his grace would like to see you right now."

Jon got up from his seat with Gary laughing. "Guess you are going to get into trouble for doing that."

Jon shot him a glare, "We both knew I would get into trouble I thought we discussed that last night while we were talking." He smiled before leaving the room. He had come up with something else to say but he thought it could wait until later for Alan to see as well.

When they got to the duke's office Jon opened the door and walked inside.


End file.
